Connecting-hook for electrotypers.



' No. 737,353. v PATENTED AUG. 23, 1933.

3. w. CORNELIUS & J. NIEMER;

03330 133 HOOK FOR BLBGTROTYPBRS.

APPLIOATION'IILBD JULYfi. 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.1.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONNECTlNG-HOOK'FOR ELECTROTYPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,353, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed July 5, 1902. Serial No. 114.420. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ESSE W. CORNELIUS and JOHN NIEMER, citizens ofthe'United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the, county of Hamiltonand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inConnecting- Hooks for Electrotypers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to electrotypers connection-hooks for suspendingcases oricathodes and copper plates or anodes from a battery-pole intolll16 jSOIlllIOIl, the said hooks also acting as conveyers of thecurrent. The improved hookjwill allow the copper plate that is to beprecipitated in the copper solution to be entirely submerged at alltimes, thus insuring an even wear of the said plate; The upper part ofthe hook, or hook proper, will be constructed of copper, brass, or acomposition of both, and if this part of the hook entered the solutionthe copper therein would precipitate, thereby destroying the hookandrequiring the use of a new hook for every new copper plate used. Thepresent invention overcomes this disadvantage by incasing and fasteningthe bottom part of a hook within a lead ora combination of lead, tin, oranti mony casting. The copper. solution has no efiect on this lattercombination of metals, and therefore no waste will result.

In some of the old methods electrotypers rivet a lug on the top of theplate and then paint or wax thefportion of the same that hangs in thesolution.- If small air-holes, which cannot be avoided by this method,form in the paint or wax, the solution goes through the said holes andattacks the hook or lug ina short while. I V

Other electrotypers use a long hook reaching from the pole oftlie'battery to holes in the corners of the anode and extending underthe surface of the solution when suspended in the latter. This lattermethod results in a very great and expensive waste, as the hooks have tobe frequently removed. If the hooksare short and hang above the surfaceof the solution, the copper plate wears away unevenly and Wastes thecopper, as the center of the plate Wears through first, leaving a thickpiece at both ends. Another bad feature resident in this method is thecollection of sulfate where the hook and the copper plate connect, thuscausing the current. to become irregular and requiring a frequent changeof the suspending device. The present invention obviates thesedisadvantages by having all the connections air-tight, obstructingcorrosion, and preventing an attack of the copper in the hook proper bythe solution. The improved hook and copper plate or anode when'once inposition do not need attention until the copper plate is entirelyprecipitated.

After the copperplate is fully precipitated the hook is removed from thepole of the battery and dipped into the metal-pot'and the lower.

cast casing is melted ofi and again recast ontoa new plate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved hook anda portion ofa plate adapted to be attached thereto and constituting ananode. Fig. 2 isa perspec-- tive View of a modified form of the hook anda portion of the plate constituting a cathode.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 desig nates the hook proper, havingan upper bent terminal 2,with a T-bar or grip- 3 rising from the centerthereof to serve as a handle. -Depending from the bent terminal 2 is aflat The casing or inclosure formed by the cast ing 6 is securelyfastened to the shank 4, the latter extending into the center of theimprovement termeda socket 7, provided at the time the said casting 6 isformed in a manner which Will now be set forth. In applying the casting6 a mold is used that is formed in halves and constructed of wood ormetal having hollows or channels which are the, exact counterpart of thesaid casting. The two halves of the mold are placed over the upper edgeof the anode 12 and. held together by clamps in a manner similar to aclosed stereotype casting-box. The opening at the top of the mold willbe located adjacent to the upper end of the casting ('5 at the outlet ofthe socket 7. The mouth of the mold has two lips to receive the metalpoured thereinto, also similar to a closed stereotype-box. After themold has been applied to the upper edge of the anode 12 the shank 4 ofthe hook proper is passed down centrally through the mouth of the moldand has its lower end disposed at a suitable distance above the upperedge of the anode. Molten metal of the character hereinafter set forthis then poured into the mold and runs through the openings 5 in theshank 4 and also through openings at intervals at. the top edge of theanode to form rivets 8 and 11, as shown by dotted lines. The moltenmetal flows around the shank 4 and fully incases the same andproducesthe socket '7. The casting 6 firmly'adheres to the shank at, anda practical homogeneous suspending means for the anode is provided whichovercomes the disadvantages heretofore set forth and encountered in themeans ordinarily employed in connection with anodes as well as cathodes.It will be observed that the plate can be suspended fully within thesolution by partially submerging the inclosure or casing formed by thecasting 6, and thus all of the plates will be evenly precipitated andcompletely used up without the least waste. After the plate 12 is fullyprecipitated the casting 6 is melted off from the hook by beingsubmerged in a melting-pot to dissolve or melt the casting, andafterward a new casting is reset or applied to a new plate and then tothe hook-shank. This form of the device has been described particularlyas applied to an anode; but it can be as readily used in connection witha cathode.

In Fig. 2, however, a modified form of the hook is shown which isparticularly adapted for use with a cathode and comprises a shank 14,with an upper hooked extremity 15, having a projection 16 rising fromthe center thereof, by means of which the entire device may be lifted.In the body of the projection 16 a dial 17, bearing numerals, isfastened and has hands or indicators 18 movable thereover and controlledby a stem 19, depending through the center of the projection at the rearand formed with an upper milled or other head 20. The stem 19 will havea suitable gear on its lower end in mesh and operating with acorresponding gear on the arbor of the hands or indicators 18. On theface of the dial 17 are figures from 1 to 12, inclusive, and the handsdesignate hour and minute hands, which are actuated by means set forth.This attachment is particularly eflicient in electrotyping-work, asdiiferent classes of work require variation in the thickness of thecopper deposit. For instance, advertisements for newspapers, which ischeapgrade work, requires but aforty-five-minutes shell; book andcommercial work and halftones, about one-and-onequarter-hour shell;flour-sacks and blankwork, one and one-half hours, and bindery stampsand dies two and one-half to five hours. Now with fifteen or twentycases submerged in the solution the operator at the battery cannot tell,under the old method as ordinarily practiced, what is molded on any ofthe cases, and to find out he must lift each case, inspect the class ofwork on it, then pick up the edge of the copper deposit, and try thethickness of the shell, and thereby waste considerable time and soil theconnections. Frequently the judgment of the operator is bad and theshells are formed either too thin or too thick. Sometimes one operatorputs the cases in the solution and another takes them out with evenworse results than where each case has to be tried during the depositingoperation. By the use of the clock attachment and the exposed dialcertainty in the work to be performed as regards the necessary thicknessof the shell results. If the job happens to be a case of half-tone work,the battery operator puts the case in the solution at seven oclock, forinstance, and then sets his dial at S. 30, which means that it is anhour-and-a-half shell, or the time required to give. the desired result.

The shank 14: has a pair of outstanding ears 21 at opposite edges, thesaid ears being in transverse alinement and formed with openingstherethrough. The lower terminal of th shank is in the form of alaterally-extend- 1 jaw 22, having openings 23 therethrough t receiveholding-rivets 24, which are run through openings 25 in a jaw 26, havingan upper intermediate fulcrum enlargement 27, with projecting aperturedgears 28, that fit between the ears 21, the jaw 26 being held in pivotalrelation to the jaw 22 by a pintle 28, which is inserted through theears 21 and 2S and is provided with a head 29 for convenience ingrasping the same in separating the jaw 26 from the jaw 22. The jaw 26also has an upper terminal extension 30, and between the latter and theadjacent portion of the shank 14 a U shaped spring 31 is interposed tonorm ally hold to jaw 26 in closed relation to the jaw 22. The jaws 22and 26 hold between them 7 a plate 31, having openings 32 to receive therivets or pins 24, the said plate constituting a cathode. It will beunderstood that both the hooks 2 and 15 are for the purpose ofsuspending the improved devices on the batterypoles and are of suchshape that they may be easily'applied or withdrawn from suspendingposition.

When the plate 12 is mounted against the base of the casting 6, thespaces between the ears 10 are fully closed by the metal or co1npositionof metals, which is run through the openings 11 and 13 to connect thesaid plate to the casting.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.The combination with a suspending-hook formed of electrical conductingmaterial and a device to be suspended thereby within an electrotypingsolution, of an intermediate casing greatly increasing in width towardits lower end and partially embracing the hook, the said casing being ofa non-corrosive nature and impervious'to the attack by the solution andhaving a seat in its lower extremity to receive the device to besuspended in the electrotyping solution, the lower extremity of thecasing having transversely-extending rivets engaging the upper end ofthe su spended device, the rivets being fusible.

2. The combin ation with a suspending-hook and a device to be heldthereby and immersed in an electrotyping solution, of holding meansgreatly increasing in longitudinal extent tothe latter having fusiblerivets extending transversely through the device.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JESSE W. CORNELIUS.

JOHN NIEMER' Y Witnesses:

W. H. KAUFMANN, GEORGE F. SPANGLER.

